Spanish police arrest suspected Islamic terrorist

MADRID—Spain's Interior Ministry says police have arrested a Moroccan man in the eastern port city of Valencia on suspicion he was planning Islamic terror attacks.

A ministry statement said Mohamed Echaabi had been under National Police surveillance and he intended "to commit terrorist acts against personalities and other targets" according to the doctrine of global Jihad, or holy war, in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

The statement released Friday said Echaabi had "taken steps to acquire firearms and explosives." Authorities say he had become radicalized and traveled to the Gaza Strip in January 2011 with a view to committing terror attacks against Israel, the statement said.

The detainee, who was arrested Thursday, is considered by police experts to be a "lone wolf terrorist" recruited through the Internet by terrorist networks.